1944 College Football Recap

Army rolled through the 1944 season like Patton through France. Over the course of their 9–game schedule, the Cadets beat the opposition by an average score of 56–4. Defending national champion Notre Dame fared even worse, losing
59–0
in the most lopsided Irish defeat ever.

No college coach had ever experienced the depth that Army's Red Blaik enjoyed during the war. No other coach ever had the likes of Doc Blanchard and Glenn Davis in the same backfield either. Only sophomores, the celebrated “Mr. Inside” (fullback Blanchard) and “Mr. Outside” (halfback Davis) double-teamed the Heisman voting for three years. They finished second and third in 1944 then each won the prize in'45 and '46.

The Army-Navy game was played in Baltimore where the Middies gave the Cadets their closest game of the year. Army came in 8–0 and No.1. Navy was 6–2 and No. 2. Army won 23–7.

Elsewhere, new Ohio State coach Carroll Widdoes did something Paul Brown couldn't do in his three years in Columbus: he guided the Buckeyes to an undefeated season and was named Coach of the Year. It didn't hurt that he had Heisman winner Les
Horvath in
his backfield as tailback in the single wing and quarterback for the T-formation.

No.7 Southern Cal was the only team in the Top 10 to play in a bowl game. The unbeaten Trojans played unbeaten Tennessee in the Rose Bowl and blanked the Vols, 25–0.